DEAR readers, President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s decision to accept the courtesy resignations of three PNP 1-star generals and 15 full-fledged colonels amid their alleged involvement in the highly-nefarious drug trade really have raised lots of questions from the PNP internal and external audience.

In the interest of balanced reporting and fair play, I am enumerating some of the questions which need to be answered by proper authorities specifically the National Police Commission: First, was due process really observed? Second, did the 18 officers really submit letters of resignation?

Third, what is their ‘clear involvement in the illegal drug activities. Are there solid pieces of evidence and witnesses against them? Fourth, it they were really observed to be involved in illegal drug activities, why were they promoted and even put in sensitive PNP positions?

Fifth, what will happen to the benefits i.e. retirement pay, pension and the so-called Commutation of Accrued Leave (CAL) and Leave Credits? Sixth, will they be allowed to look for a legal remedy to stop the execution of PBBM’s order?

And last but not the least, will there be a 2nd internal purging of the police force that will affect PNP Junior Officers or the Lieutenant Colonels down? Will these officers–specifically those who have been accused of involvement in illegal drugs including the controversial 990 kilograms of shabu case and other criminal activities, past and present–be also asked to tender their courtesy resignations in the days to come?

I’m the no. 1 fan of the government in general and the PNP headed by General Benjie Acorda in particular when it comes to the massive reforms including the so-called internal cleansing drive being undertaken by the police force.

However, let the real culprits be unmasked, charged, jailed and prosecuted under a democratic process, the due process we always say. This has been my stand since I began my journalistic career more than 30 years ago.

The reason why I have built friendship with countless members of the police force is simple: I have been very professional, very fair to all policemen and have stood in defense of many of their colleagues who were also pilloried in the past and present after being wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit.

Just ask former PNP chiefs and other active and retired officers and non-commissioned officers and you will know what I mean.

Last Wednesday, I listened to Gen. Acorda when he spoke to his men at the PNP Intelligence Training Group headquarters and said that the President’s decision should serve as a clear message to all members of the force that they have to fully abide by the law and avoid tinkering with the system.

“We respect the President’s decision and believe there are more meaningful officers out there. This will send a message na talagang mahirap paglaruan ang system. And this is also an opportunity for the PNP to redeem its image, something which Filipinos can really be proud of,” the top cop said.

The top cop spoke a day after President Marcos accepted the courtesy resignation of the 18 officials who were subjected to a thorough investigation by a 5-man committee headed by former PNP chief, now retired General Jun Azurin and the Napolcom chaired by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr.

Actually, I was a bit shocked when I saw the names of the 18 since some of them have been friends and news contacts since their junior days. I have covered the past accomplishments of more than half of them particularly when it comes to fighting drugs and criminality and terror and of course, solving heinous crimes.

Expectedly, majority of them cried they were not given ‘due process’ and are preparing to question the PNP and Napolcom recommendation approved by PBBM before the court. When I called him up last Thursday, one of the accused generals even told me he is ‘ready to die today’ if it will really be proven that he is involved in illegal drug activities.

One of the 15 colonels also said he has never been assigned to any Drug Enforcement Unit since he joined the force. Some also maintained they did not file a ‘courtesy resignation’ addressed to PBBM and instead wrote a letter to the Chief Executive airing their full support to the administration’s effort to cleanse the police force of officials with drug links.

Two of the 1-star generals, Brigadier Generals Remus Medina and Randy Peralta, were not among those investigated by either the Senate, the House of Representatives or any fact-finding body in connection with the controversial seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu worth P6.7 billion in October last year which was marred by accusations of massive pilferage.

The names of the two however were not mentioned during the separate congressional hearings.

For the record, Medina and Peralta were already in a ‘floating position’ when the October 2022 operation was launched. Medina and Peralta were relieved as Quezon City Police District director and PNP Drug Enforcement Group or PDEG director respectively by Gen. Azurin shortly after he took over the top PNP position last August 1.

“The charges against us have devastated my family but we have to sacrifice. The truth will reign because I never tolerated illegal drugs in my entire career. Hindi naman marangya ang pamumuhay namin because we live by our own means,” Brig. Gen. Peralta told me in a phone conversation.

The two, along with their classmate from PNP Academy Class 1993, Brig. Gen. Pablo . Labra II and Colonels Rogarth Campo, Rommel Ochave, Rommel Velasco, Robin Sarmiento, Fernando Ortega, Rex Derilo, Julian Olonan, Rolando Portera, Lawrence Cajipe, Dario Menor, Joel Tampis, Michael David, Igmedio Bernaldez, Rodolfo Albotra Jr. and Marvin Sanchez were the 18 officials whose ‘courtesy resignations’ were approved by PBBM.

Brig. Gen. Labra was relieved as director of the Police Regional Office 13 in Caraga region only last week. He became the PRO13 director in November last year. Some of the police colonels who are also all PNPA products are already occupying Command Group positions in the regions while others were already relieved from the posts since last year.

Two of them, Colonels Olonan and Portera, were former PDEG officers who were among those investigated in connection with the drug controversy in Manila last year. Both have claimed innocence of the charges hurled against them during the congressional hearings.

Others are occupying key positions in different PNP regional offices and PNP national operational support units. Now they will be fighting the greatest battle of their lives, a ‘protracted war’ that would really cost them their own money, their reputation and that of their respective families and their careers in the future. They will also be waging a ‘war on perception’ specifically in the social and the mainstream media.

Interestingly, some are also classmates of a police officer killed in an ambush in Mandaluyong City on April 16, 2014. After he was killed, the wife of Chief Inspector Elmer Santiago of PNPA Class 1996 released a diagram allegedly drawn by her late husband which contained the names of at least 30 police officers, some of them Santiago’s classmates.

The diagram written in red ink contained the names of convicted Muslim and Chinese drug traffickers already serving their sentence at the New Bilibid Prisons and over 30 policemen with different ranks. However, the ‘link diagram’ remained unsubstantiated and no charges were filed in connection with it, I was told.

Presidential spokesperson, Secretary Cheloy Garafil said PBBM’s decision was the result of the investigation conducted by the 5-man committee composed of Gen. Azurin, now Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro Jr., retired General-turned Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong, retired General-turned Office of the Presidential Consultant for Military-Police Affairs Assistant Secretary Gani Nerez and retired Court of Appeals Associate Justice Melchor Sadang.

The panel looked into the records and documents of the 953 3rd-Level Officials who submitted their individual letters of resignation. Sec. Abalos said the Napolcom, through the initial review of the 5-man committee submitted to President Marcos the list of the PNP generals and colonels who tendered their courtesy resignations and eventually were determined to have links with organized drug syndicates based on their evaluation.

The DILG chief also pointed out that their ‘surveillance, monitoring and investigation’ of all police officers will continue as it is important to eradicate the drug problem once and for all.